Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to a fiber optic cable configured for use in fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) applications or other applications.
A “drop cable” is typically designed for connecting optical fibers from a larger network, outside a home or business, to a local network of a home or business. The drop cable may carry one or a small number of optical fibers, and may further be designed to fully support its own weight when strung through the air. Further the drop cable may be designed to withstand the elements of wind, rain, and ice, while mitigating the effects on the optical fibers of shrinking or expanding of the cable due to axial loading, cold-temperatures, or other causes. In addition, the drop cable should be narrow or small enough to easily pass through small tunnels or ducts (e.g., an inch- or even a half-inch-diameter duct), as may be used in fiber-to-the-home applications.
To accomplish some or all such tasks, the drop cable may include rigid strength members, such as glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) or steel rods. The rods provide tensile strength and oppose buckling. However, the rods may limit flexibility of the cable and may also be difficult to cut through and remove should a portion of the cable jacket need to be removed during the installation of the optical fiber and associated hardware. Accordingly, a need exists for a fiber optic cable that is some or all of a small or narrow fiber optic drop cable having tensile/anti-buckling ruggedness and weather-ability, but with improved flexibility and access to the optical fibers.